Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

Although only a few Golden Core cultivators participated in the epic battle on the Canglan River, the news had already spread throughout the entire cultivation world of the Great Qi Dynasty within just a few hours.

Everyone was eagerly awaiting that earth-shattering news.

"Master, a great victory! A great victory!"

In the battle of the Canglan River, the six True Immortals joined forces to slay the Demon King with the Demon Eye, the Sun Chasing Demon King, and the Purple Moth Demon King of the Demon Realm. Several other demon kings were severely injured and escaped.

Inside a magnificent hall in Mengzhou, Huoding Mountain, an elder from Baicaotang hurried along, his face full of excitement, and spoke to Lu Yuming.

"Is the news that you killed three demon kings true?" Lu Yuming was startled and quickly asked.

The elder said with certainty, "It's absolutely true, the news has spread throughout the entire Great Qi."

"Good, good! Following the two great expeditions, this is another major victory. I will immediately write an article to congratulate the masters."

It's no wonder Lu Yuming was so agitated. The situation in the southwest is becoming increasingly unpredictable, with all sorts of previously unheard-of forces springing up like mushrooms after rain.

For example, the Bone-Eating Sect and the Righteous Qi Sect, which have recently developed very rapidly in the cultivation world of Lu, have turned the cultivation world of Lu upside down. Even the Rakshasa Hall and the Five Poisons Sect had to personally step in to suppress them.

The cultivation world of Lu Kingdom is in chaos, leading to a large influx of rogue cultivators, evil cultivators, and fugitives into the cultivation world of Gusu, causing a great shock. The Ancient God Pavilion and the Xuanling Sect have both ordered preparations for war.

An epidemic has recently broken out in the cultivation world of the Great Yu Dynasty. The Tianxiao Sect and Qingyang Palace reacted promptly and prevented the epidemic from spreading, but the casualties caused were equally shocking.

As a result, Baicaotang's business was greatly affected, and among the four border regions, only Daqi remained relatively stable.

But a century has passed, and the demon race is about to make a comeback. The aquatic creatures of the Canglan River are also restless. The shadow of war has begun to gather, and the air is filled with the smell of gunpowder.

Just when it seemed that this last piece of pure land was about to be lost, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

The battle not only severely damaged the demon race, but also facilitated a reconciliation with the aquatic race. There could be no more exciting news than this.

For Baicaotang, stability is more important than anything else.

Just then, another steward rushed into the main hall and loudly reported, "Reporting to the Hall Master, the Venerable Master Zixu of the Song Clan of Wangyue has arrived and is currently waiting outside the mountain gate."

"What?" Lu Yuming stood up abruptly, displeased, "Nonsense! How dare you leave the Master waiting outside? Hurry up and go welcome him in."

At this moment, the elder who had entered earlier hurriedly added, "There is one more thing I forgot to report to the hall master. In the previous battle, True Person Zixu single-handedly killed the fourth-tier mid-grade Chasing Sun Demon King. His divine power was truly unfathomable."

Lu Yuming's expression changed, and he angrily rebuked, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

After saying that, he changed the subject: "Quickly gather all the elders on the mountain and come with me to personally welcome them."

He paused for a moment, as if hesitating, before finally making up his mind and saying, "Let's invite Shu Ming over to keep us company too."

Upon hearing this, a look of surprise appeared on the elder's face, but he immediately agreed...

Outside the mountain gate, Song Changsheng, dressed in a blue robe, stood with his hands behind his back, quietly standing there, seemingly more majestic and imposing than the entire Huoding Mountain.

Back when he accepted Jiang Shuming's invitation to attend the Pill Appraisal Conference, Jiang was someone that he and the entire Song family looked up to.

In the blink of an eye, more than a hundred years have passed, and everything is different.

Led by Lu Yuming, the elders of Baicaotang arrived at the foot of the mountain and respectfully bowed, saying, "We pay our respects to Master Zixu. We apologize for not being able to welcome you from afar."

“Master Lu, there’s no need for such formalities. I’ve come here with a small matter I’d like to ask for your help with.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuming immediately offered his full support, saying, "As long as it is something Baicaotang can do, we will not refuse. Please come up the mountain to discuss this in detail."

"please."

The crowd escorted Song Changsheng to the main hall and they sat down. Song Changsheng didn't keep them in suspense and took out the Demon King's inner core, which was still warm from his robes, and said, "I would like to trouble Master Lu to personally refine a batch of [Breakthrough Pill] for me."

Lu Yuming respectfully accepted it and said with a smile, "This is such a small matter. I could have just given the order. I'm sorry to trouble you to make the trip in person."

"Having nothing else to do, I came to see an old friend. Master Lu, you should try to avoid overthinking things," Song Changsheng said meaningfully, looking at Lu Yuming's full head of white hair and deep wrinkles.

Among all the existing Purple Mansion cultivators in the Great Qi, Lu Yuming is the oldest, nearly seven hundred years old.

It seems the rumors that he had taken an elixir that could extend his life by two hundred years were not unfounded. (See Volume 4, page 273 for details)

However, without a higher-level longevity treasure, I probably won't live for many more years. Reducing the strain on my mind and spirit and focusing on seclusion can prolong my life for a while longer.

Currently, Baicaotang's superior status depends on Lu Yuming. If he passes away, Baicaotang will only have one path left: to completely rely on Tianmai Sect.

As for advancing further within a limited lifespan, Song Changsheng considered it very difficult.

Life extension is essentially about using external things to replenish one's depleted life essence, forcibly maintaining bodily functions by squeezing out one's own source. The longer this goes on, the greater the damage to the body becomes, and the more difficult it is to break through.

Su Ding was in this situation in the past, and Lu Yuming is in the same situation now.

Lu Yuming himself understood the predicament he was facing, and sighed, "Thank you for the reminder, Master, but my disciples are not up to par, and I, this old body, cannot rest yet."

The Great Qi currently has eight Purple Mansion forces.

Apart from the Zi and Chi clans supported by the Song clan, and the Guan clan recently supported by the Tianmai Sect in Xiangzhou, among the original established Zifu forces, only Baicaotang has been declining in recent years without a large number of powerful figures falling.

Although the Heavenly Sword Sect is no longer as powerful as it once was, that's because it lost too many strong warriors. Now, under Jian Xu's diligent governance, it has regained some of its former glory, and it's only a matter of time before it returns to its peak.

In contrast, Baicaotang has been in decline ever since its prized treasure, the Heavenly Fire Cauldron, fell into the hands of the Haoran Alliance.

Over the course of more than a century, apart from the continuous increase in the number of guest advisors, the number of cultivators in the Purple Mansion has remained unchanged, and the performance of the younger generation has been mediocre.

Looking at the Huansha Sect and the Demon Subduing Hall, their strength has grown considerably over the years after being tempered by war, and the performance of their younger generation is equally remarkable.

While it may not be the most stunning, it at least demonstrates the depth and foundation expected of a long-established Zifu faction.

Without fresh blood to take the lead, Lu Yuming has to shoulder the burden alone, but no one knows how long he can hold on.

The future of Baicaotang is now uncertain.

This has completely worn down Lu Yuming's pride. In the past, Su Ding would have treated him as an equal, and he would never have been so humble in front of Song Changsheng.

Upon hearing this, Song Changsheng remained silent, then nodded and said, "Let's stick to the old rules for compensation."

"You esteemed masters fought a bloody battle on the Canglan River today, eliminating a major threat to the Great Qi. Everyone in the Great Qi should be grateful for your kindness. I was merely refining pills in the background; how could I possibly ask for any reward?"

"Give me six months. After I finish refining it, I will send someone to deliver it to you personally," Lu Yuming said solemnly.

"Isn't this... a bit inappropriate?"

"Alright, alright, this is nothing. I just hope that you can take care of Baicaotang in the future."

Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow slightly. No wonder he was so eager; he definitely had an ulterior motive.

But for him, it was really just a piece of cake.

Furthermore, in the East China Sea, elixirs are a necessity, with enormous consumption for both personal use and trade. The Song family's current production capacity is insufficient; the addition of Baicaotang could temporarily alleviate their immediate crisis.

"This is a small matter. I have some spiritual herbs here, and I will also need to trouble Master Lu." With that, Song Changsheng took out the nine Star Fruits that had fallen from the Star Fruit Tree earlier.

Compared to the one left for Song Qingxing, these fruits are vastly different in both shape and color, but their value is equally undeniable.

Refining it into a mid-grade fourth-tier [Dao Law Pill] can help cultivators comprehend the laws. It can be used by cultivators at the Golden Core stage and below, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.

Nine pills can be refined into at least dozens of Dao Principle Pills, enough for Song Changsheng and the Song family to use for a while.

Looking at the Star Spirit Fruit in Song Changsheng's hand, a glint of light flashed in Lu Yuming's eyes. He knew the characteristics of the Star Fruit Tree all too well. The fact that Song Changsheng could take out nine intact fruits meant that he must have a living Star Fruit Tree in his hand.

This is equivalent to him having a resource point that can regularly produce "Golden Cores".

This means that the Song family will not be a flash in the pan, because the Song family is fully capable of cultivating new Golden Core cultivators.

If that's the case, Baicaotang really needs to seriously consider taking sides.

So he readily agreed, saying, "I am honored by your favor, Master. I will take care of all of this."

"Then it'll be hard work."

The two exchanged a smile, both fully aware of each other's thoughts.

Just then, two figures walked in from outside the hall.

Song Changsheng looked towards the door, stood up, and said with a slight smile, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Hearing him address him as "fellow Daoist," Jiang Shuming felt both flattered and deeply moved.

Even though he had become a Golden Core cultivator, Song Changsheng had not forgotten their past friendship.

"I am truly sorry that I arrived a step too late, Your Excellency, with such a distinguished presence."

"It's alright. I was planning to finish discussing business with Master Lu before catching up with you." Song Changsheng naturally knew why he had arrived so late.

According to the information gathered by Fengyu Hall, although Jiang Shuming is still nominally an elder of Baicaotang, he has actually been excluded from the core decision-making level for a long time. He is not allowed to go to Tianhuo Mountain on a regular basis, so his life is not easy.

There's nothing we can do; he chose the wrong path.

Despite having a powerful background and influence, he chose the path of talismans.

As an outlier, he has absolutely no chance of becoming the next head of Baicaotang.

However, it is difficult for Lu Yuming's disciples and followers to compete with him.

For the sake of future stability, we have no choice but to marginalize this honest man.

Otherwise, Song Changsheng wouldn't have been interested in him, and now, in front of Lu Yuming, he was showing even greater enthusiasm.

Jiang Shuming was filled with trepidation, while Lu Yuming's expression became somewhat unnatural. He had previously thought that the old friend Song Changsheng mentioned was him, but it turned out that he had been deluding himself.

Fortunately, I didn't say anything wrong at the time, otherwise I would have lost all face.

"Youxiang pays respects to the clan chief."

The person who came with Jiang Shuming was none other than Song Youxiang, who had been sent to Baicaotang in his early years.

Back then, Song Changsheng exchanged a scroll of array formation inheritance for a Foundation Establishment spot with Jiang Shuming, and Song Youxiang lived up to expectations and successfully established his foundation.

She is now a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and her talisman skills have reached the second-order Great Perfection, catching up with Song Qingqing, who once taught her.

Song Changsheng nodded in satisfaction and said, "Not bad, you're more confident and more composed now."

Fellow Daoist Jiang, you've truly gone to great lengths these past years.

Thinking back to the first time he met Song Youxiang, she was so timid that she hardly dared to lift her head when she walked because of the birthmark on her face.

He's like a completely different person now compared to before.

"You flatter me, sir. It's mainly because Xiang'er is exceptionally gifted," Jiang Shuming said with a smile. Wasn't that exactly why he brought Song Youxiang here?
“Master Lu, I have a few words I would like to discuss with my grandson and Fellow Daoist Jiang. Please excuse me for now.”

"Please make yourself at home, sir." Lu Yuming naturally dared not raise any objections.

The group arrived outside the hall. Song Changsheng found a pavilion, waved his sleeve to set up a protective barrier, and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, your cultivation has greatly improved over the years."

This is not flattery. When they first met, Jiang Shuming was only at the early stage of the Purple Mansion realm. In just a hundred years, he has become a cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm.

This is already extremely fast compared to the average person.

Looking at the entire Hundred Herbs Hall, apart from Lu Yuming, no one else can suppress him. But he is an anomaly. He cannot succeed as the hall master, and he is the grandson of the former hall master. No wonder he is marginalized.

Jiang Shuming sighed, "If we can't get over that step, we'll be nothing but bones in a grave in another hundred years."

His future, like that of Baicaotang, is bleak.

He has been unable to break through to the fourth rank, whether in terms of cultivation or talisman skills, and he is now somewhat disheartened.

Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow and said, "You didn't use the jade token I left for you back then?"

Upon hearing this, a look of helplessness and shame immediately appeared on Jiang Shuming's face.

"Some problems arose, and I was unable to obtain the longevity treasure. I have failed the true master's good intentions."

Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow slightly. His guess was indeed correct; Baicaotang did indeed possess longevity treasures of the second rank or higher.

However, Jiang Shuming said that he did not obtain it, and that the item was most likely in Lu Yuming's hands, so we could start from that angle.

He feigned hesitation and slowly asked, "Is it because of Master Lu?"

Jiang Shuming was startled. He wanted to explain something, but couldn't speak, so he could only nod helplessly.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, tell me the truth, what is your sect's longevity treasure? Tell me, and I might be able to help you."

You don't need to worry about leaks; it's common knowledge that Baicaotang has longevity treasures.

What happened today is known only to the three of us, and only to Heaven and Earth, and nothing more.

"I only said those overstepping words because of our long-standing friendship. Fellow Daoist, please think it over carefully," Song Changsheng said earnestly.

After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Shuming finally spoke, "It's the [Taiyi Azure Jade Fruit]!"

...(End of chapter)